Isolée - Western Store (the most underrated electro album of 2006!)

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Posted in music on December 14, 2006

Isolée - Western Store (the most underrated electro album of 2006!)

Isolee Western STore I'm completely unqualified to claim that Isolée's Western Store is the must underrated electro album of 2006, but I'm pretty sure it did get a lot less attention than Isolee's bad-ass 2005 album We are Monster. I "picked up" Western Store a month-or-two ago, and so far I can't stop listening - definitely one of my favorite albums of the year.

Part of the problem is the lack of a U.S. release - Amazon sells the import for $27.49. Insound doesn't even sell it. Also - it's more of a compilation than an album, but it doesn't feel that way -- especially because I'm not as familiar with the old stuff - same with One Louder. Every once in a while the album gives me deja vu though - probably from hearing the song in a dark, sweaty club that I hardly remember being in...

"In case any of you where wondering where it all began for the most consistantly surprising, original and forward-thinking producer in House music - 'Western Store' will come as a much needed 70 minute educational run. Hauling in a stack of utterly classic 12's, 'Western Store' was put together by one-half of Alter Ego (Jorn Elling Wuttke) and in plundering Rajko Muller's vinyl-only back catalogue has nicely demonstrated the patchwork of styles which comprise the Isoleé sound." [boomkat]

"WeAreMonster" (2005) = a Pitchfork 8.4 + best new music + 11th best album of 2005 + a Stylus A + Cokemachineglow review + a Metacritic page

"Western Store" (2006) = a Pitchfork 8.2 + no Stylus review + no Cokemachineglow review + no Metacritic page + obscurity??

Obviously they are different albums, and one is really an album, and one is more loved, etc.. I'm just sayin'. check it out.

Isolee

MORE LOVE
* TuneTourist's top 25 albums of 2006
* Pound for Pound review
* The Dusted review

Western Store didn't get nominated for "best electronic/dance album" in the Plug Awards either. Here's who did:

* Basement Jaxx - Crazy Itch Radio (XL)
* Booka Shade - Movements (Get Physical)
* Coldcut - Sound Mirrors (Ninja Tune)
* Girl Talk - Night Ripper (Illegal Art)
* Goldfrapp - We Are Glitter (Mute)
* Herbert - Scale (!K7)
* Hot Chip - The Warning (Astralwerks)
* Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye (Domino)
* MSTRKRFT - Looks (Last Gang)
* Ratatat - Classics (XL)
* The Knife - Silent Shout (Mute)
* Thom Yorke - The Eraser (XL)